WiFi Access Point Comparison

What is an Access Point?

In networking the term Access Point refers to a device that gives off WiFi to connect devices to an existing wired network. If you don't have a primary router yet we recommend looking at our "Which Router is Best for Me?" guide to identify what type of main router you should purchase. Some of the devices covered in this guide are capable of being a primary router, but are typically used as an Access Point, which is an extension of your existing network. If you have a large home/office or are looking for a large scale WiFi deployment you'll want Access Points to help provide wireless connectivity throughout your network environment.

When dealing with WiFi range the output power of the router or bridge is very important to ensure you get proper coverage in your network environment. Most users are familiar with "802.11n," which is the most common form of wireless you'll see today. However, all 802.11n isn't treated equal and you'll find that some routers have a much larger wireless range than others. The main reason for the difference in how far your router can transmit a signal is mW (milliwatt) output power of the unit.

What is a milliwatt?

The Milliwatt output is one of the easiest ways to determine approximately how much power your WiFi router or repeater has. A Milliwatt is equal to one thousandth (10⁻³) of a watt. This means that there are 1,000 "milliwatts" in 1 "Watt," and the FCC regulates WiFi output power to a maximum of 1 Watt (1000mW) in the U.S.

To put this in perspective, lets take two typical 802.11n capable routers, one with 100mW of output power, and the other with 200mW of output power. The unit that offers 200mW is twice as powerful, which means you'll get nearly double the WiFi range as the 100mW WiFi router. Not all manufactures will give you the rating in milliwatts and you may see a reference to dBM instead.    

How to convert dBm to milliwatts:

If the manufacture doesn't give you a mW output rating on the router you can also reference the power by dBm. You can use the formula (dBm = log10 (mW)*10 mW =10^(dBm/10), or simply refer to popular conversions below:

• 30 dBm - 1.00 Watt
• 27 dBm - 500 mW
• 26 dBm - 400 mW
• 25 dBm - 320 mW
• 24 dBm - 250 mW
• 23 dBm - 200 mW
• 22 dBm - 160 mW
• 21 dBm - 130 mW
• 20 dBm - 100 mW
• 15 dBm - 32 mW
• 10 dBm - 10 mW
• 5 dBm - 3.2 mW
• 4 dBm - 2.5 mW
• 3 dBm - 2.0 mW
• 2 dBm - 1.6 mW
• 1 dBm - 1.3 mW
• 0 dBm - 1.0 mW

Now that you know how to determine exactly how much power an access point offers, you need to figure out what type of access point you want. We've broken them into three categories below.

WiFi Categories:

• Access Point - Designed to extend an existing WiFi network while preserving the DHCP range of your primary network. This means you can use an access point to extend an existing WiFi network and preserve file sharing. Access points do not feature WAW (WiFi as WAN) and require a stand alone router to give them Internet access.
  
• WiFi as WAN - This feature allows you to connect to an existing WiFi network and repeat a brand new WiFi network. This does not bridge a network together, which means you won't be able to access files on a computer connected to the main network. This feature is useful if you have a larger home/office or multiple buildings that you need to provide WiFi to another area, but aren't concerned with file sharing between the locations. 
• Mesh Network - Mesh networks are typically found in larger scale deployments for cities, parks or businesses that want to maintain a single seamless WiFi network. This allows you to see a single SSID and have your device seamlessly transition between access points as you continue to travel. For Mesh network deployments 3Gstore recommends using star network topology by placing the primary router in the center and extend the mesh connectors outward.
  

The following charts outline all our popular Access Points, WiFi as WAN routers and Mesh networking components. After you've determine what type of WiFi category you're interested in you can reference all the models that fit that category. If you're still unsure of which Access Point is best for you contact 3Gstore at 866-347-8673 and choose option 2 for pre-sales information.


Q: Will a 802.11 b/g router impact my transfer speeds?

    A: Typically you won't notice an impact in speed unless you have a very fast central connection. A 802.11 b/g router is rated at 54Mbps, which means your network speed would need to exceed 54Mbps before you'd benefit from going to an 802.11/n rated router. Equipment that runs on 802.11/n are rated to support network speeds of up to 300Mbps with channel bonding, around 130-150 Mbps without.

Q: What if I don't have a main router yet?

    A: If you don't have a main router to give you Internet access, you want to look at our which router guide here - Click: Which Router is Best for Me?

Q: How far away can I be from a hotspot/network and still use it?
   
    A: This question can very depending on what type of interference you have between you and the WiFi source. For reference the Pepwave Surf On The Go is rated around (200'), the Pepwave Surf Mini (300'), the Pepwave Surf 400 (600'), WiFi Ranger/Pro (150'), WFRBoost (900'). The closer you have the wireless repeater to the WiFi source the better your signal and speed will be.

Q: What if I don't have Ethernet in the area I want to put the Access Point? 

    A: If you don't have Ethernet in the area you want to place the Access Point you can use our Mini Powerline Adapters to easily provide Ethernet connectivity to another area of your home/office without drilling holes or running long cables. Please Note - In order to use a Mini Powerline Adapter you must be connected to the same power brick so this product won't be applicable for building to building applications were different power bricks are located.

Q: Will all of my equipment be able to connect (XBox/iPad/laptop/desktop/DVR/etc)?

    A: Yes, you can connect multiple devices to these Access Points as long as the components have the ability to pickup a WiFi network and connect.

Return to top

---

---